Standing next to her tour bus doing a meet and greet for a long line fans on Friday afternoon, bluegrass star Rhonda Vincent is an old pro who is up on all the new tricks. When an older fan tries to find someone to take a photo using an old flip phone, Vincent takes it out of his hands and within seconds has used it to capture a perfect selfie of the two of them.

She has made many appearances at Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival. "We always love being here," Vincent says. "This becomes like a family reunion for us. We get to see people here that we don't get to see any other time of the year. It is so much fun."

Since its start in 1979 Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, which happens twice a year in May and August, has been one of the premier traditional music events in the country. The founder Joe Cornett can still be found greeting people at the entrance bur the event is now operated his daughter and son-in-law Rich and Cyndie Winkelmann.

PennLive talked to Rich Winkelmann as the Steep Canyon Ranger's music mixed with the sound of children screaming nearby.

How long have you been involved in the festival?

18 years. My wife's father founded it.

Were you always a bluegrass fan?

Absolutely. My dad got me into bluegrass. I am such a bluegrass fan, I drive my wife crazy on long trips. She does like bluegrass. She is just not the diehard fan I am.

So you came to this festival before you were connected to it? Did you meet your future wife here?

I came as a kid. My wife and I have known each other since we were little kids. We went to grade school together.

Why do you think Gettysburg has become the locale for this event? We aren't in the Blue Ridge?

We have a lot of bluegrass folks in the Pennsylvania mountains and all up and down the Appalachians. But I think what makes this event so attractive is the facility. It is a full service campground with a swimming pool and all the amenities and all the things that make camping appealing. But also the lineup, we are known for always having a real strong lineup. I like to see people really enjoying themselves. And, I do feel the weight of responsibility when it comes to the festival. They expect to see top notch music and have a well run event.

How many people are expecting this weekend?

It varies depending on the weather. But with the weather that we are having and the lineup that we have, we could see about 5,000 people over the course of the four days. They come from all over. I met folks from Holland, Germany, Ireland and lots of Canadians and people up and down the East Coast.

How do you figure out which acts to invite?

Some of it takes care of itself if you can get a Ricky Skaggs or an Alison Krauss. And, I think it is a credit to what my father-in-law started that bands want to play here. So, we have that luxury. But we are also constantly on the lookout for new talent. We sift through it. We pay attention to what is happening on the scene. We scout bands whenever we have the opportunity. Some of it comes down to they sent me a CD and I liked what I heard. Another part of it is we know a lot of people. So, an agent will get in touch with us with a new band or even an act they saw they thought was right for us that they don't rep.